Measures on bodies of water
Watercourse development
Anyone wishing to develop, i.e. create, significantly alter or remove a body of water requires a planning approval decision. This requires a comprehensive planning approval procedure. A less extensive planning approval procedure may be possible for smaller development measures.
Installations in, on, over and under bodies of water
Anyone wishing to erect facilities or structures, e.g. bridges or footbridges, on a body of water requires a permit under water law.
Riparian strip
Riparian strips serve to maintain and improve the ecological functions of surface waters, to store water, to ensure water runoff and to reduce the input of substances from diffuse sources. The legally stipulated watercourse edge strip is 5 m in the inner area and 10 m in the outer area. It is measured from the upper edge of the embankment inland or, in its absence, from the line of the mean water level. The bank is also part of the riparian strip.
The following, for example, are prohibited in riparian strips:
- The non-temporary depositing of objects that could obstruct the flow of water or be washed away.
- The construction of buildings or other deposits (e.g. wood storage).
- The use of fertilizers and pesticides within an area of 5 m (with the exception of wound closure agents for tree care and game bite protection agents).
There is currently a ban on water withdrawal from surface waters in Ludwigsburg County
Due to low water levels, water withdrawal from streams, rivers, and lakes in the Ludwigsburg district is currently prohibited. This applies not only to general public use but also to withdrawals authorized under water law. Exempt from this regulation are all hydroelectric power plants, heat pump systems, and other water-use facilities that return the withdrawn water to the water body after use.
Because water supplies are currently still sufficient, the withdrawal ban also does not apply to water withdrawals from the Neckar federal waterway—including its power plant canals—and the Gründelbach starting from its confluence with the Altachgraben at the underpass of the B27 in the municipalities of Ludwigsburg and Heutingsheim and Beihingen (City of Freiberg a.N.).
The general ruling also does not apply to water withdrawals from Heiligenberg Lake and Hohenhaslach Lake, as there are location-specific regulations in place for these areas. The Mühlbach Reservoir in Bönnigheim is also exempt from the withdrawal ban, as it has a constant groundwater inflow.
You can find further details in the press release and the general ruling issued by the Ludwigsburg District Office. General information on the topic of low water levels is available on the website of the Baden-Württemberg Low Water Information Center ( NIZ).
